Coronavirus frequently asked questions

We are unable to offer rent breaks, but we will work with each customer on a case-by-case basis to agree an affordable repayment plan. We will provide advice, support, and guidance to you if you're having difficulty paying your rent.

To discuss your situation further, please email us at ircenquiries@placesforpeople.co.uk or contact us on 01772 666 444.

We are asking more questions than usual as part of our service to help our customers, so it may take us a little longer to answer your call.

Eviction is always a last resort and only considered when arrears are increasing and there is no response to offers of support. The Government’s ban on bailiff-enforced evictions, introduced in an emergency during lockdown, has now ended. If you are at risk of being evicted from your home, you must get in touch with us so we can work together to try and avoid action being taken.

If you are having trouble paying your rent or have rent arrears it’s important you contact us. We can work with you to arrange a payment plan and may accept lower levels of rent for a short period or make an agreement to pay arrears off at a later date. Get in touch by emailing us at ircenquiries@placesforpeople.co.uk or by calling us on 01772 666 444.

When you call, we are asking more questions than usual as part of our service to help our customers, so it may take us a little longer to answer.

Yes, if you are concerned about the impact that coronavirus may have on your loan with us, or are experiencing financial difficulties due to the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic, please let us know as soon as possible by calling us on 01772 666 122 or by emailing loans@placesforpeople.co.uk and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

It is important for us to understand how your financial situation has been affected so we can work with you to find the best solution. We are still able to provide support, and we can offer a range of options which may help, including payment deferrals or reductions.

If you are concerned about the impact that coronavirus may have had on your loan with us, or are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, please let us know as soon as possible by calling us on 01772 666 100 or by emailing secured.loans@placesforpeople.co.uk and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

It is important for us to understand how your financial situation has been affected so we can work with you to find the best solution. We are still able to provide support, and we can offer a range of options which may help, including payment deferrals or reductions or by agreeing an affordable repayment plan. Please be aware that this may not be the best option for your circumstances as any payment deferrals or reductions will result in your loan balance being higher than it normally would be and you will incur more interest as a result of this. The deferred payments will need to be repaid by way of increased monthly payments as soon as it is possible to reduce the interest being charged. The deferred or reduced payments will not adversely affect your credit score for the duration of your agreement.

We are committed to help prevent our customers falling into debt and we will continue to provide advice, support and guidance to customers who may be experiencing difficulty in paying their rent.

If you are experiencing difficulties, you can email us at ircenquiries@placesforpeople.co.uk or contact us on 01772 666 444. Please have your tenancy reference number.

There are some useful links on our Guidance for customers with financial concerns page that may help you look for information and support.

If you need help with understanding this information our Money Advice Team are available to offer support and help signpost you to the services that best meet your needs. Please email us at moneyadvice@placesforpeople.co.uk or call us on 01772 666 446.

If you are not eligible for statutory sick pay, you could be entitled to claim Universal Credit or New Style Employment Support Allowance.

For more information please visit:

understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/coronavirus/

gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance-detailed-guide

If you need help with your benefits claims, please email our Money Advice Team at moneyadvice@placesforpeople.co.uk or call us on 01772 666 446.

We are asking more questions than usual as part of our service to help our customers, so it may take us a little longer to answer your call.

Our lettings teams are using COVID safe ways of working. Most parts of the lettings process are done in contactless ways to make your move as safe as possible and reduce the spread of coronavirus, but sometimes we may require an in-person meeting. This will be done in a socially distanced way.

Yes, we continue to carry out all gas servicing and electrical compliance checks in our properties. We can assure you that the safety of our customers and colleagues are a priority and we will contact you to ask you some coronavirus related questions prior to your appointment.

If you are isolating, we can delay our visit, although you must let us know as soon as we can visit again.

If you wish to amend your gas safety check appointment, please call 01772 666 250.

If you are isolating, we can delay our visit, although you must let us know as soon as we can visit again.

We may need to collect some additional information about coronavirus before we arrange a visit or repair with you.

This information will help us assess whether we need to put in place additional precautionary measures for our colleagues when they visit your home.

If we need a contractor to visit your home, we will need to tell them too, so that they can take similar additional measures.

We will treat the information you give us with the utmost care. We will keep it for a limited time and will use it for the purposes of safeguarding all our colleagues and customers.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has put together some information to help you understand coronavirus and your personal data.

Visit: ico.org.uk/global/data-protection-and-coronavirus-information-hub/

Our priority is the health, wellbeing and safety of our customers and colleagues.

We are following the latest Government and NHS advice and can assure you that we are doing all we can to help protect our customers and their homes.

Our colleagues will continue to wear a face-covering while in your home and when moving through any communal areas such as corridors or lounges. Our teams have suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) and will wear what is appropriate for the task. They also have anti-bacterial wipes for the surfaces they need to touch.

We will ask you to stand at a safe distance away, or in another room. We’ll also let you know if you need to take any additional safety precautions while our colleagues are visiting your home. This may include asking you to wear a face covering.

All trades operatives will show you identification when they visit your home. Please check this and once you are satisfied, you can leave our contractor or colleague to carry out their work. Our colleagues can remove their face covering while socially distanced to help you check their identity or for easier communication such as lip-reading. After completing the job, they will let you know they have finished and are leaving, and if necessary, see themselves out.

We make sure our colleagues self-isolate if they have any symptoms or have been in contact with someone with coronavirus.

If you are reporting a repair with our Customer Service Centre, we will ask additional questions to help protect against the spread of the virus.

By following these steps, we want to reassure you that there is a low risk of spreading coronavirus from a home visit.